The invention relates to an electrode for measuring body currents, comprising an electrically conductive and adhesive contact layer intended for placing on the skin and a cover layer covering the contact layer and a metallic sensor, which is connected to a transmission cable, for receiving and transmitting the currents.
It is known to equip electrodes with an electrically conductive and adhesive contact layer. Such a contact layer can be formed from a viscoelastic gel which contains Karaya and is described, for example, in German Patent Specification 2,727,396. The advantage of these contact layers consists in the fact that they enter into intimate contact with the skin due to their viscoelastic properties and, therefore, produce a low contact resistance between electrode and skin. At the same time, they act as attachment means since they have adhesive properties.
To transmit the body currents to an analysing instrument, a sensor must be provided which is usually formed by a silver/silver chloride layer. In a known embodiment of such an electrode, an AG/AGCl foil having a thickness of 0.02 mm rests on the contact layer and is connected to a pressure stud which projects through the cover layer and to which the transmission cable is attached. Such electrodes are used as single-use electrodes. Their costs are essentially determined by the silver material needed for the sensor.